ELECTIONS / 24TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT : Retired Pilot Invests $300,000 of Own Funds in Costly GOP Race

Raising the stakes in what already was a costly shootout among Republicans, a retired Thousand Oaks airline pilot has thrown $300,000 of his own money into his race for the Republican nomination in a new district that includes the west San Fernando Valley and Conejo Valley.

Bill Spillane, 56, said Tuesday that he decided two weeks ago to dig into his savings in order to jump-start his campaign, which to that point had raised less than $10,000.

Among his eight rivals for the GOP nod in the newly reapportioned 24th Congressional District is another self-financed candidate, Korean-American businessman Sang Korman, who has put $330,000 of his funds into the race and has vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to win.

In contrast, Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), the candidate many regard as the front-runner in the race, had collected $98,000 as of May 13, the most recent date that campaign spending reports were to be filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Another well-financed candidate, Calabasas trade consultant Jim Salomon, had gathered $99,000.

Spillane said he already has spent most of the money he loaned his campaign, buying cable television and print advertisements and sending out six postcard-size campaign mailers to all Republican households with a strong history of voting.

Spillane’s literature stresses his record as an Air Force fighter pilot and his positions in favor of preserving abortion rights and eliminating some capital gains taxes.

Republican consultant Paul A. Clarke, who is not involved in the 24th District primary race, said Spillane’s last-minute spending binge could result in victory because “none of the candidates are overly well-known.

“It’s almost anybody’s race,” Clarke said, “especially if they spend money on advertising instead of on personnel and office, as I suspect Korman has done to a large extent.”

Other candidates are Encino attorney Rob Meyer, who has collected $52,000, most of it his own, and Sherman Oaks attorney Nicholas Hariton, who raised $53,000, including $21,000 that he loaned his campaign.

Also running are Harry Wachtel, a West Hills attorney; Stephen M. Weiss, a Calabasas attorney and business consultant, and Robert Colaco, a Van Nuys businessman.

The winner of the GOP nomination Tuesday will face eight-term Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.